Classical Art Prints in Lolita

For the past several years, unique prints have been a pretty big defining feature for brands, and for many people was the thing that drew them to the fashion. While there have almost always been unique prints, they were usually understated until the pastel-dancing-bunnies-riding-rainbows-made-of-unicorn-hair Sweet Lolita explosion happened, and after that it seemed like even the other styles were trying to come up with the next bigger and better print. With the rising interest in Classic Lolita it's no surprise that the next big print trend came from Juliette et Justine, a brand that is undeniably Classic.

Sometime last year or so Juliette et Justine released a dress that pretty much rocked the Lolita world featuring a full all-over print of a classical Rococo painting. They were not the first brand to release all-over prints featuring classical art, but they were definitely the brand to turn it into the next big thing.

 

 Just a few of Juliette et Justine's classical art print pieces!

Juliette et Justine has been releasing a lot of pieces similar to this lately, it seems as if every time they release some new pieces, at least one of them is a classical art print. Juliette et Justine has much simpler designs than most brands, but the rarity/expense of their pieces, while being incredibly obnoxious to most people, at least keeps the community from being completely up to their eyeballs, and completely bored with this new trend.

Other brands have started to jump on this bandwagon too! Moi Meme Moitie recently released Sleeping Garden, which features an all-over print of a photo of a graveyard. Not exactly the same thing as classical art, but it's hard to deny the similarity.

Am I the only one reminded of Sopor Aeternus by this print? I think it's the name that does it.

As I had mentioned, Juliette et Justine was not the first brand to release prints along this line. The Otome brand Jane Marple has actually released several pieces that feature large art prints, a recent one featuring what I think is an angel, but there have been a few other religious prints in their past, and even one featuring a very fancy piano.

Jane Marple does the classic art thing quite nicely.

So what if I can't get my hands on some of these hard-to-find, very-expensive dresses?

Headed right on the tail of this trend is a trend for classical art tights, believe it or not. Nearly all of the tights you are seeing on Lolitas (and Dolly Kei and Cult Party Kei enthusiasts!) both over here and in Japan are actually from a US based tights company called Celeste Stein. There are literally hundreds of different designs to choose from on their site, but only a handful of classical art prints. If you don't have the several hundred dollars to spend on the brand dresses, you can pick up a pair of these tights for between $19 and $32, depending on the type of material you choose! I think that's a pretty good deal for such an awesome pair of tights, and a pretty cheap way to hop on this otherwise expensive bandwagon.

So how the heck do I coordinate something like this? 

Those out there who are not particularly fond of these classical print pieces often say it's because they look incredibly hard to coordinate. Personally, I think with a piece like one of these, it's sort of best to go all-out. I've seen the art tights, paired with Juliette et Justine's art print dresses and it looks absolutely fantastic!

Here's an idea how to coordinate one of JeJ prints in a more over the top way, with contrasting prints and a variety of different textures and colors. I love seeing Classic pieces coordinated in a sort of haphazardly opulent way. Check out some of the Classic Lolita coordinates on the Flasco blog, or some Dolly Kei coordinates for some ideas on how to make pieces that don't necessarily match work together.  

If you're looking for a slightly simpler way of coordinating a print like this, you can always just coordinate it the way you would any other black and white Classic Lolita dress. Some typical cute Lolita shoes, lace-topped socks, a high necked collar, and topped off with a more elegant headdress option you can show off the print on the dress without drowning it in opulence. 

So what do you think of these prints? I am a bit late on reporting on them (I am a bit late reporting on a lot of things! As you can tell by the sad update schedule of this blog lately. Sorry about that!) but in the mean time I've been pleased to see more pieces along these lines come out and the Moitie dress be released. Personally, I really love these dresses, I think that there are so many possibilities for fun coordinates with a piece like this, and it's very refreshing to see prints finally start to go in a different direction from the somewhat formulaic Sweet Lolita prints that have been so prevalent in the fashion for the past several years. On the other hand, I can see how quickly a print trend like this would get old fast, probably even more so than other print trends since there are not as many color options as other prints. You're pretty much stuck with the colors in the painting, so there's not even different colorways to pick from to fit your own personal style. Then again, Juliette et Justine's more recent Jupe du Château comes in several different colors, so I guess we'll just have to see where this trend goes!

Lolita Brand Inspired Decorating

I've spent the last few days working on a new Tumblr, Lolita Decor, which is dedicated to, you guessed it, decorating with Lolita sensibilities. So now I'm sort of all in a dizzy about looking at cute rooms and thinking about decorating, but Tumblr isn't really the kind of place for more in-depth blog posts so I would like to make a few posts more posts about decor here. One of the things I love about Lolita inspired decorating is that there are so many possibilities! From light and airy Victorian rooms for the Classic Lolita, to the adorable stuff-animal-filled rooms of the Sweet Lolita, to a Gothic Lolita's dark and spooky abode. There are as many ways to decorate with the Lolita in mind as there are to put together a Lolita coordinate!

I'd like to try something a little different this time and instead of focusing on one particular style's aesthetic, I'd like to put together something like an inspiration board based on individual brands. These are all relatively simple and affordable ideas, sure I could post some photos of drop dead gorgeous Victorian mansions, but that's completely out of the picture for so many people! So instead, I'm focusing on a few simple things that can easily change the look of a room, curtains, throws, wall art, and various other knick-knacks and trinkets, smaller things that can help change the look of a room and can be accumulated over time if need-be.

For a MmM inspired room, I focused on some of the iconic elements of Moitie, simplicity, black with blue accents, and wrought iron.

1. A candelabra is both a classic Gothic piece and a frequent MmM design. Luckily, candelabras are still a trendy piece of decor so they are relatively easy to pick up for a good price, and pretty cheap as well. A black candelabra is ideal, but silver is just as good.
2. What goes perfectly with a candelabra in a Moitie inspired room? Blue candles, of course You can often find blue taper candles just about anywhere that sells taper candles.
3. Hunt down some fancy filigree picture frames and fill them with your favorite Moitie-esque image. If finding black frames in a fancy design is a difficult task, pick them up in just about any color and spray paint them black.
4. Moitie is well known for using crosses and other religious imagery in their prints, pay homage to this with a gothic wrought iron styled cross or two on your wall. These are usually pretty easy to pick up in home decorating places for a very reasonable price. If you're bold enough to go all out and paint your walls black, consider painting the crosses (and any other delicate wrought iron pieces you hang up on your wall!) Moitie blue.
5. I'm a sucker for throws! They are a very easy way to make it look like you have an awesome bed covering without buying an all new comforter, or for disguising a not-so-fancy couch. In keeping with the simplicity of Moitie, I've picked a plain black throw, but to keep it interesting, it's a black faux fur throw. I have one of these of my own and I seriously love it. It adds instant luxury to just about anything you can throw it on without making it look busy. It's also incredibly warm and cozy. Faux fur throws range in price from about $20 to $70 and beyond.
6. In keeping with the theme of adding a bit of blue to a black feature, I would consider scattering around some blue throw pillows. Finding just the right blue might be a bit tricky, but you can usually hunt down someone on Etsy who makes pillow covers to make something in the perfect shade of Moitie blue, or with very minimal sewing skills and a bag of fiberfill, you can make your own.
7. If you're looking to add a little bit of blue to a bed, especially with a black throw thrown over it, pick up some blue sheets. Sheets can be found in just about any color on Amazon or Ebay, and they are something to add a relatively cheap bit of blue to a bed. With a black throw tossed over a bed, and some blue sheets turned down, you can hide pretty much any un-gothic bedspread you might have on your bed.
8. Wrought iron styled wall hangings can often be a more expensive piece of decor, but you can pick up smaller ones for a smaller price if you still want the look, but don't have a huge budget. If you choose to have a larger one, you can use it as a focal point on a wall, or you can hang it (securely, please!) above the head of a bead as a mock headboard, without having to pay the price of a wrought iron bed frame.
9. Another pricier, but not prohibitively pricey,  piece to add might be a black vanity table. Recover a not particularly interesting stool, using this tutorial, in a scrap of luxurious blue fabric. You can even pick up vanity tables in a wrought iron style, but if you're on a budget, cheaper wrought iron furniture might get a bit wobble after a while. If you are looking for something to display some pieces, but have no interest in sitting down at it and staring at yourself, look into a baker's rack. You might need to get some pieces of wood (don't forget to paint them black, or blue even!) to go over the metal shelves in order to display small items, but they're a cute way to add shelving for light weight decor.
10. Moitie inspired blue bottles can be picked up easily online, or even in home goods stores. Fancy them up further by using them to display your favorite pieces of jewelry, drape earrings out of the openings, or wrap a necklace around the necks. If you prefer to keep your jewelery in a jewelery box, you can always wrap a pretty piece of black lace or tulle around the bottles.

Innocent World is a brand known for several different styles, from dramatic Classic pieces, to cute Sweet-Classic fusions. For this inspiration board, I'd like to try to settle somewhere in between these two things. Lots of dusty pastels, combined with elegant Victorian details.

1. A fancy Victorian inspired rug with a cute pastel floral pattern is the perfect addition to a Innocent World inspired room, either laid down on a hard wood floor, or on a neutral colored wall-to-wall carpet. Similar rugs to this can usually be purchased at most any home shop. If your budget is small, a smaller rug is just as good to add a cute splash of color and design.
2. A garland of roses, or other faux flowers, can be picked up at most any craft store for a reasonable price. These are perfect for the Classically inclined to drape around just about anything. Attach it to a door frame to create a Secret Garden inspired entrance to any room, drape it across a bookshelf, or wrap it around a standing mirror.
3. Chenille pillows look cute and cosy scattered on a bed, or on a sofa. Chenille is a fabric featuring soft little tufts of fiber, set in pretty patterns, that dates back for a couple hundred years, but was very popular in the early 20th century. There are several sellers on Etsy who specialize in remaking vintage chenille bedspreads into more affordable pillows. If you still find the price a bit high, check around the supply section of Etsy for portions of chenille bedspreads that you can buy for a relatively cheap price (usually between $10 and $20) to make your own pillows.
4. Same as the Moitie inspired room, consider tossing a throw blanket over a bed or not-so-cute couch. Instead of a black furry one, opt for a cute Victorian inspired tapestry one. You can find throws like this in a multitude of different colors and designs for between $30 and $60.
5. Lace table clothes are a cheap, and easy to find bit of decor that has a ton of different uses. You can use it like a throw to cover up a bed or sofa, drape it over a bookshelf and tie it back to create drapes for your bookshelfs, or you can cover just about any flat surface from desks, to dressers, to plain old tables.
6. You can find decorative curtain rods just about anywhere for a good price, and they can instantly transform even boring curtains into something a little bit fancier.
7. But why stop at boring curtains when you can find some fancy ones? If you're crafty, curtains are super easy to make out of a couple yards of pretty cotton, if you're not so crafty, they can often be picked up at discount home stores for a reasonable price.
8. Innocent World is a brand that hearkens back to a more innocent and romantic time, and what is a better way to channel this time than with a collection of books from times gone by. A pretty row of vintage books can add easy decoration to just about anywhere. Stack a couple up on a bedside table, or keep a row of them on top of a small shelf with pretty book ends on either end.
9. I can't get enough hatboxes, they should be a Lolita's best friend. You can hide clutter in them, store your accessories in them, and even stack them up to create an instant end table. They're also incredibly affordable! You can find hatboxes for between $5 and $15 at just about any home goods store.
10. A perfect addition to any Lolita's space is a full length mirror, a standing mirror is a homey addition to an Innocent World inspired room that is a bit pricier than a wall-mounted mirror, but it can really make the decor of a room.

I hope to get a few more brand inspired inspiration boards done in the near future, since they were really fun to make and, well, inspiring! If you're looking for some more Lolita inspired decorating, check out my little side-project Tumblr, Lolita Decor.

Looking at all these rooms has really got me in the decorating mood! Those of you out there who do add a bit of Lolita to their decor, where do you get inspiration from? Specific brands, your favorite style, your favorite Lolita print theme? Personally, I can never pick just one so my own brand of decorating is a bit eccentric. Sheer black draperies, gilt frames, and cute stuffed animals are all things on display in my own Lolita space.

Moitie's New Alchemy Print

Moitie is a brand that I definitely have a love/hate relationship with. Sometimes they completely blow me out of the water with designs that I find incredibly unique and cool, other times they release stuff that I find so boring that I begin to suspect that the whole brand is just an elaborate joke set up by Mana. I can imagine Mana in his mountain-top gothic castle cackling over designs for a pair of plain black pants, tie-dye shirts that look like they were designed for trendy grandmas, and plain black turtlenecks.

Their recent design was definitely something that really reminded me of my love/hate relationship with the brand. At first, upon seeing the design picture I thought "Oh wow! That is a really cool looking design! The writing in the background is so cool, and I like all the different images!" Then seeing it on an actual dress made me change my mind completely. What might make a cool border image turns into an awkward print on a ho-hum dress design.

Moitie is famous for making simple yet striking designs, and Gothic minimalism seems to be their motto, but, to me, the minimalist dress design, plus a giant cluttered print just looks like Angelic Pretty gone Goth. Which might be a neat thing, but I just find it really awkward coming from Moitie. I think it's almost like they're trying to jump on the OTT trend a year too late.

I would love to see an alchemy themed print from Moitie, with magic circles, alchemical symbols, and I'd even be cool with some crosses and roses thrown in, but I can't help but wish they used this idea for one of their more classic screen printed designs. I think that this way it would have definitely been undeniably Moitie and not so much Moitie does Angelic Pretty.

Ask Miss Caro-chan: Wearing Lolita At Formal Functions

Today's Ask Miss Caro-chan comes from Lady Weaver. She asks:

It seems as if, upon high school graduation, many of my friends and family members have been getting engaged. I don't want to detract from the bride's day, but I still want to wear my poof. What does the discerning Lolita wear?

What to wear when we go somewhere where we are expected to dress up is a dilemma many Lolitas have to eventually face. Obviously, we spend most of our time, or at least whenever we are wearing Lolita, more dressed up than any one we know. But when it comes to a formal function in which full-blown Lolita is simply not appropriate, we have to master that tricky art of dressing down to get dressed up. If you want to wear the Lolita finery you already have, or you simply can't comprehend buying something that's not Lolita, there are a few simple things you can keep in mind for when you have to go to something where you are required to blend in a bit more than you normally do.

• Consider a more toned down style, like Classic Lolita. Classic Lolita is a, well... classic way to blend in a bit more with the normal folk. Many of their dresses are less over-the-top than other styles of Lolita, and can often pass as "Sunday best". You might even consider going for a basic black Gothic Lolita style. Try a simple black Lolita dress with a square collar and short sleeves.
  
• Keep it "grown-up". Leave the Bunny Bear bags, unicorn prints, and giant head eating bows at home. They will usually draw too much attention from the average person, and not good attention either, but usually "Why did she bring a teddy bear and is wearing a little girl's dress to a wedding?" attention.
• Try a cardigan. Try a cardigan over a blouseless JSK, or even over whatever it is you plan on wearing. A plain, but nicely fitted cardigan is just a really nice way to look dressed up for normal people, but to look a bit more casual for a Lolita.
  
• Loose some of the poof. Try not to be poofier than the bride XD Wear one, slightly deflated, tulle petticoat to just add a little bit of lift to your skirt. Try aim for a more A-lined silhouette, not a cupcakey one.
  
• Avoid knee socks. Choose a plain pair of tights instead. If it's in the summer, even consider going bare-legged.
  
• Go headdressless. Instead of a bow or a ruffly headdress, try a headband with a simple bow on it, or even just a hair clip.
  
• Keep accessories "classy". This is mainly for Sweet Lolitas who border on Deco. Leave your plastic cupcake rings and glittery bangles at home. You know it, I know it, and every Lolita out there knows that plastic Angelic Pretty jewelery can cost an arm and a leg, but to the average person they are going to just to assume you showed up at someones wedding covered in play jewelry from the toy store.
  

Here are three coordinates (click for the polyvore page), made with the above tips in mind, that I think would be very suited for wearing to something like a wedding. All three are based around a Lolita brand piece, and do indeed look very Lolita, they are just a bit more toned down than usual.

In the end, it really all depends on what reason you have to tone down your Lolita. If it is something like a traditional wedding, it's incredibly inappropriate to show up in a dress more decorated and poofier than the bride's. Or maybe you will just be around many people, extended family and co-workers for example, that you are just not comfortable dressing Lolita around. If the wedding is unconventional, and the bride and groom are all very familiar with your personal fashion style, don't feel shy about asking them if you can wear your frilly finery to their wedding. They might not mind at all. But if they do, try not to take it so personally, after all, it is their big day, not yours.

Cage Skirts

Well, I've been on a bit of a Gothic Lolita kick lately, so today is a quick look at a Lolita phenomena known as the cage skirt. This strange contraption, much like a ye olde hoop skirt, only worn on the outside, was seen much more often in the earlier Gothic & Lolita Bibles. As far as I know, Moitie is the only brand to have actually released one. Ever since I saw scans from the first G&LB with a cage skirt (the impossible to walk in floor-length one shown below!) I've been just dying to have one, but they're so impossible to find. They seem like a simple DIY project, but I have yet to even come across suitable pleather strips to make myself one out of! The closest thing I've got to a cage skirt is a Bodyline h.NAOTO knockoff JSK that has a fabric cage over skirt. Recently, cage skirts have been making a small come back with h.NAOTO's white cage apron (the last picture featured below).

I've been dreaming of owning a black one and a white one. A white one to wear with a very ghostly coordinate, and a black one on days I feel the need to look like a very gothic doll. From owning a cage skirt-ish over skirt, there is one tip I can give for wearing cage skirts watch out for door knobs! You will get stuck on them.

Attention newbies! Not all of these photos, or even most of them, are considered Lolita.

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Faux Moitie & A Mana Inspired Wardrobe

Moi Meme Moitie is one of Lolita's most beloved brands, it's also one of the more difficult to fit into, afford, or get ahold of if you want anything flashier than a $350 kuro JSK. Moitie pieces often have such a unique style that they are almost in a category of their own. If you take the word of Mana as the word of God, then you could argue that they are in fact a category of their own, seeing as how Elegant Gothic Lolita and Elegant Gothic Aristocrat are phrases he invented to use specifically for Moitie. But what if you love the style but for one reason or another can't fill your wardrobe with the real deal? Well, in this post I'll be helping you add some pieces to your wardrobe that even Mana himself would approve of!

What makes Moitie Moitie?

The first step in finding the right pieces is to identify what exactly makes Moitie clothes look so different from other Lolita brands. Sure, on first glance they look like just about any other Gothic Lolita brand out there, lots of black right? But there are actually a few key differences to Moitie compared to most Lolita brands. Once you learn to recognize what it is that makes Moitie so special, you'll be able to start building up a wardrobe.

• Color- Moitie has a very limited color scheme. Most everything is sold in black, but a few pieces are also sold in a delicate off-white. Don't forget their signature blue color! While often limited to details such as lace or prints, there are a few pieces sold that are done entirely in this color.
• Shape- Moitie dresses and skirts are much less poofy than other Lolita brands, often times they are A-lined or empire wasted.
  
• Material- Very luxurious fabrics such as velvet and chiffon are usually used in Moitie pieces. Sheer chiffon overlays on skirts, as well as blouse sleeves and boleros are used much more with Moitie than in other brands. They also rely upon various kinds of textured fabric to give their plainer styled pieces a bit of interest. Unless it is a printed fabric, they also rarely ever use cotton, instead their pieces are made out of polyester, often times giving them a slight sheen.
  
• Prints- Occasionally Moitie will come out with a piece that features screen printing along the skirt edge, but the most common print to be found on their clothes is the classic floral print. Usually in dark colors, but they also release a fair number of light and romantic colored floral prints on a creme background.
  
• Details- Most pieces by Moitie are very simple in detail. Hardly any of their skirts have a ruffled hem, lace is mostly used to decorate hems, bows are very limited and often only a tied velvet ribbon, and corset lacing with grommets is often seen on waists.

Moitie themes and symbols

There are a few themes and symbols that Moitie has used since its early days. Because most of these are unique to Moitie, you'll have a much harder time hunting down a Lolita item with a similar design. Instead of being dead set on finding skirts with crosses and cathedral prints, try to add some of these designs into your accessories. It's much easier to find western Gothic jewelry with these themes than items of clothes. In fact, the company Alchemy Gothic has quite a few pieces of jewelry that features these symbols.

• Coffins
• Cast iron gates
• Castles
• Candelabras
• Roses
• Crosses
  

Taking some fashion cues from Mana

Mana is the founding father of Elegant Gothic Lolita and he is a great source of inspiration. We can look to him for both how to do it right, and how to do it wrong.

Mana Dos

• Wear elegant gloves- While Mana most likely wears gloves to cover up his big ol' man hands, gloves are still an elegant addition to any Gothic Lolita outfit. Wear your rings over your gloves!
  
• Stockings and socks- The classic Mana tights are a pair of black lacy ones, paired up with black over-the-knee socks topped with lace.
  
• Spidery false eyelashes- Mana's makeup is one of his trademarks, but look to the Don't section for more about that, I'm talking about his false eyelashes. If you would like to try false eyelashes with Lolita, look for a very pointy and spidery pair, much like the ones Mana wears. Go easy with them though, don't apply them to your bottom lids, just the top lids.
• Platform mary janes- Back in the early days of Lolita, huge platform mary janes pretty much the shoe to wear. This is probably because Mana is always seen in a pair of gigantic platforms. While this trend has nearly died out, they still go perfectly with Moitie styled clothes. Demonia sells several pairs of platform mary janes.
  

Mana Don'ts

• Blue lipstick- Number one on the Don't list is Mana's blue lipstick. Unless you are Mana, it's probably not going to look good on you. Save the blue lipstick for Mana cosplay, not everyday wear.
• Full face makeup- Again, were not cosplaying here, just trying to incorperate some Mana-esque styles into our wardrobe, so please don't think you need to cake yourself in white face paint and slather on about 6 pounds of eyeshadow.
• PVC thigh high boots- Please don't. Not even if you are Mana.

Incorporating blue into your outfits

Adding a touch of blue to an all black outfit is a sure way to get the look that Moitie has. There are all sorts of different ways to add it too!

• A single blue piece of clothing- Either a skirt, a blue velvet jacket, or a blue blouse under a black JSK. A blue skirt or blouse in just the right color blue might be hard to find, but it is something that could easily be commissioned. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you could even try dyeing a white blouse. Something like an offbrand blazer would be much easier to find than you might think, as navy colored jackets are often sold in the fall.
  
• Jewelry- A Victorian styled necklace with blue stones would look beautiful with a black dress, and necklaces like this are so easy to find too! This necklace from the brand 1928 is just perfect looking, or perhaps a blue beaded rosary or rosary styled necklace. And don't forget rings, a silver ring with a blue gem slipped over a black lace glove would complete the look.
• Ribbons- If you have a black dress with any kind of corset lacing on it, either down the front, or over shirring on the back, replace it with a blue ribbon!
  
• A blue rose- Hunt down a blue silk rose and either wear it in your hair, or as a brooch. Clothing stores often sell such hair clip/brooch roses, but finding one in blue might be a challenge.
  
• Makeup- No, I don't mean lipstick. I'm talking about a teeny bit of blue around your eyes. Keep the rest of your face more ore less natural, as is common in Lolita, but add a bit of blue eyeliner to your upper eyelid. Try Urban Decay's Bold Blue. Or, instead of blue eyeliner, go natural with your eyeshadow and eyeliner and try Urban Decay's Electric Blue mascara!
• Nail Polish- There are so many colors of nail polish out there, so you can find the perfect shade of blue nail polish to match! Besides painting the whole nail blue, you could do a french manicure of black nails with blue tips. If you can can find some black lace nail decals, they would look incredible on top of some blue nail polish.
• Hair- A few Lolitas who are very hard core about Moitie have died their whole head of hair blue. But if you're not looking for something that extreme you can go with a few blue highlights, or even a clip-on hair extension if you want something a lot less permanent. Some added blue looks best in either black or very blond hair.

Where to buy Faux Moitie and Moitie-esque pieces

There are a few places you can find pieces that would look right at home in a Moitie filled wardrobe, and even some places selling pieces that were directly inspired by Moitie.

• Chiaki-Ayumi on Livejournal- The above skirt was made by her with custom printed fabric that mimics, without being a direct copy of, the classic Iron Gate skirt, but sadly I don't know if she has any more of the fabric. She also has sold a similar skirt with machine embroidered Gothic castles. The Iron Gate print is probably one of Lolita's most sought after prints, but there has been nothing that was "close enough" until now. It's a dream come true for some Lolita's to be able to get their hands on similar print.
  
• In The Starlight- ITS often makes a skirt with a rose print on it that I think has a Moitie feel to it. They used to sell it in a much more vibrant blue, but I haven't seen that kind in stock for a while.
  
• Forever 21- They are a good source for sheer black blouses, similar to the kind that Moitie often carries. Currently there are actually 2 cardigans that reminded me instantly of Moitie, one in black and blue, and one in white and blue.
• Bodyline- They sell a near exact copy of the famous Moitie bat purse. I have this purse and I have got to say I love it. I don't know if they currently have any in stock at the moment, but Cosmates has the same purse for a good price.

Using some of the tips above I made a quick coordinate that is just a simple black blouse and JSK combo, but with some added accessories to give it more of a Moitie feel. Even though this JSK is much poofier and more traditional Lolita than many Moitie pieces, the different elements give it a new look.

Phew! This post ended up way longer than I had intended. I'm not a Moitie expert, I mostly just really love blue x black combos and the Iron Gate print!